Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Jon Jones recently told the combat sports media that he was offered a spot in the UFC 300 pay-per-view (PPV) main event, but was forced to decline the opportunity because “Bones” did not think he would he would have enough time to bounce back in time for the April 13 mega-event in Las Vegas.
Jones, 35, recently underwent surgery for a torn pectoral muscle.
“Jon Jones comes out and he says, ‘Yeah, the UFC just offered me the main event,’” longtime rival and former opponent, Chael Sonnen, told his YouTube followers (transcribed by MMA News). “I would just have absolutely no idea what goes through that guy’s head. There’s a level of stupid that’s really hard to achieve, right? In fairness, I wouldn’t know. When would it be okay for Jon to claim he was offered a main event at UFC 300? When he wasn’t. If he was not offered that, if he’s working, if that’s a hustle to get a headline, he did a great job. If he made this up, if this is a lie about 300, great job. First time you’ve ever done a great job! But, because it would be the first time and because that’s off brand, I don’t think that’s what happened.”
This isn’t the first time Jones has been accused of “lying.”
“I think he got a phone call. So now, he comes out and he outs the organization,” Sonnen continued. “‘Hey man, these guys don’t have a main event.’ Oh god. Daniel Cormier called him a bad employee a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, my god, what he did here is so damaging, and it’s not self-serving! He didn’t say anything that could be helpful. He only said one detail that can harm the company. ‘They don’t have a main event and they’re scrambling, which means any of you (fighters) that are getting a phone call, negotiate, hard, they need you!’ That is what the heavyweight champion just told the rest of the roster.”
To be fair, I’m pretty sure the rest of the roster already knew that.
Jones has been called a “scumbag” and a “punk” by UFC CEO Dana White, a sentiment echoed by bitter rival (and good employee) Daniel Cormier. Not surprisingly, “DC” also believes “Bones” is “dumb” which may explain his “criminal mindset.” Or maybe the critics are just mad that Jones keeps winning, despite his many faults.
A UFC 300 main event announcement is expected in the coming days (we hope).